‘African navies underfunded’

Commanding Officer of the South African war Ship, SAS Spioenkop, Captain Michael Boucher, yesterday said the major challenge facing African navies was underfunding.

Boucher spoke in Lagos during a visit to the Western Naval Command, WNC.

The Dakar, Senegal bound ship stopped over in Lagos for a two-day visit to express South Africa’s willingness to join other navies on the continent in tackling maritime illegalities.

Boucher, who was accompanied by South Afirca’s High Commissioner, Lulu Louis Mnguni, said he would organise a joint maritime security training exercise with the Nigerian Navy.

He said the regional joint warfare was necessary to intensify the war against piracy, which, he said, has been on the increase of late and have become a threat to commercial vessels and international trade in the region.

He said: “We believe that the war against criminals at sea should be fought internally by African countries, rather than depending on Europe and America to tackle the problem for us.

“African navies are grossly underfunded and overstretched but with the new collaboration among African navies it is hope that piracy activities would become a thing of the past, in the nearest future.”

According to Boucher, Nigerian Navy personnel would be going for a four-day Sea Power for Africa Symposium in Senegal, which attracts many of the continent’s naval leaders.

“We made port calls in Namibia, Angola, and now Nigeria and will visit Ghana before heading to Senegal. The crew will train their foreign counterparts in anti-piracy action at some of the ports to showcase South African defence industry products,” he said.

Mnguni told reporters that the frigate’s visit showed that contrary to claims that the relationship between both countries was not cordial, it was maturing and consolidating.

“This is for the regeneration of the continent. Both nations are key partners in efforts to regenerate Africa for a better continent.

“We have symbiotic interest with Nigeria, it’s a question of sharing of experiences between both countries with the goal to make our nations and the continent better,” he said.

Ibas said: “Just few days ago, the HMNLS Ship, Rotterdam, a Dutch vessel left Lagos for Calabar in continuation of the African Winds Exercise, to build capacity as well as engage in training with our personnel. The goal is to improve the ability of the nations involved to extend the rule of law within their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones and better combat illegal fishing, human smuggling, drug trafficking, oil theft and piracy.”